This invention relates to a technique for use of information from many sensors connected to a network.
Networks including the Internet have been recently used mainly for access to accumulated contents including documents, images, videos, or voices, the access being made through search engines, preset links, or the like. In other words, a technique for accessing stored contents has been established.
To transmit real-time information, a streaming technology is known for continuously distributing images of a camera (WEB camera) installed in a predetermined position. Development has been recently made on a sensor network technology to obtain sensing data acquired from a great number of compact wireless sensor nodes through a network (e.g., JP 2002-006937 A, JP 2003-319550 A, JP 2004-280411 A, US 2004-0093239, and US 2004-0103139). In recent years, high expectations have been placed on a sensor network which fetches information of a real world and uses this information at a remote place through the network. Most of the Internet services have been offered in a virtual space. However, the sensor network is essentially different from the current Internet in that the sensor network connects a virtual space and a real space. If the fusion between the virtual space and the real space is enabled, various new services dependent on a situation including a time and a position can be realized. By interconnecting many objects existing in the real space through the network, it is possible to provide traceability services. This makes it possible to meet various social needs of “safety” in a broad sense, as well as “efficiency” of inventory control and office work.